1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement to a night light of the type having an electro-luminescent lighting element, as disclosed in parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/910,202, in which large area electrodes on the electro-luminescent lighting element directly engage a specially designed connection member to facilitate electrical connection of the lighting element to a metal plug. The improvement involves the use of a multiple-piece housing which provides a curved surface while minimizing the amount of plastic required.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The present invention utilizes the basic electro-luminescent lighting fixture connector principles disclosed in copending allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/383,404, (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,394) applied to a night light of the type disclosed in parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/910,202, by utilizing a non-penetrative contact arrangement which limits damage to the electro-luminescent element(s) used in the night light and reduces the risk of electrical shocks and short circuits, and in addition addresses a problem with prior electro-luminescent night lights, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,408, that if the two-piece housing of the prior night lights is designed with a curved electro-luminescent panel, so as to provide a greater viewing angle and a more attractive housing configuration, while still providing a flat back surface to permit the night light to be flush with an electrical outlet when plugged in, the amount of plastic material required by the back piece of the housing must be increased in order to provide the necessary curved electro-luminescent element supporting surface. As a result, the prior two-piece housing construction is not practical for an electro-luminescent night light having a curved surface.
Except for the arrangement of the housing, the night light of the present invention is similar to that disclosed in the parent application. Since the advantages of the non-penetrative or sandwich type contact termination arrangement are described in detail in the parent application, they will not be repeated herein, except to note that non-penetrative contact termination, and in particular the use of resilient conductive members to provide the electrical connection between the prongs and large area electrodes provided on the surface of the electro-luminescent element, serves to simplify assembly and tooling by increasing the tolerances necessary to effect a good electrical connection, while increasing reliability and decreases risks of short-circuiting or electrical shock hazards.
The only prior disclosure of non-penetrative contact techniques to an electro-luminescent night light known to the Inventor is found in the above-cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,408, issued on Sep. 2, 1997. This patent discloses a low profile night light which relies on direct engagement between the outlet prongs and terminals extending from the electro-luminescent element.
While in one embodiment, shims are used to bias the prongs against the terminals, with the terminals being positioned between the shims and the terminals, none of the embodiments uses resilient conductive elements positioned between the prongs and large area terminals or electrodes on the surface of the electro-luminescent element, as in the present invention or that described in the parent application. As a result, in addition to failing to provide a practical way to support the electro-luminescent element to provide a curved surface, the night light disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,408 provides a less secure higher impedance electrical connection, greater risk of short-circuits and electrical shock, and decreased assembly tolerances, particularly in view of the delicate nature of the terminal extensions required to effect the electrical connection to the outlet prongs.